3. Research Question “What role does sustainability play in the selection process of Dutch tourists, with respect to their destination and their activities?”
4. Research Method Survey Online Survey Survey (Hardcopy) Geographical areas Rotterdam Den Haag Zeeland Arnhem
5. Limitations Time Constraint As there was little time in to carry out the questionnaires (approximately two weeks). Language Barrier As the questionnaires were in English, it is possible that there were difficulties understanding the questions in the survey. Although this was less problematic for the younger respondents, it was evident that the elder generations had more problems understanding the questions. Questionnaire Translation Bias In order to help respondents understand the various what the questions were asking, the questionnaire was also translated into Dutch. Although it helped the interviewees understand the question, the questions could have been translated in such a way that it became biased to the manner in which the Dutch team members understood the questions. Approximately 20% of all the respondents used the translation in order to comprehend a query. Comprehensive Limitation Another limitation is the misunderstanding of a question. Some queries were unclear to the respondents, by which the respondents answered how they interpreted the question. This means that every interviewee may have understood and answered the same question differently, depending on the manner in which they comprehended the query. Refer also to the fact that on the online questionnaire you could not undo the answer if you click it wrong in some of the economical questions. (Need to add also on the report)
6. Research Method Target group 17 to 65 years old Income Independently make decisions Dutch nationality ResearchFindings
7. Findings – Environmental The possibility to travel shorter distances and/or locally is important when choosing a tourist route.
8. Findings – Environmental The possibility to enhance responsible tourism (keeping in mind nature’s biodiversity, minimizing one’s own footprint) is important when choosing a route.
9. Findings - Social When I travel in an ecological way, and get myself completely immersed in the local culture, I should get a reward/reduction for that, given by the government.
10. Findings - Cultural When choosing a responsible tourist route, I would like to visit such cultural attractions that are certified as sustainable.
11. Findings – ICT I always consult my friends and family through the Web 2.0 (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace) to inform myself and obtain documents about all type of responsible tourist routes.
12. Findings – ICT When I’m planning my trips, I use as a source of information and recommendations specific Web page site reviews.
15. Conclusions “What role does sustainability play in the selection process of Dutch tourists, with respect to their destination and their activities?” Dutch tourists are To an extent sustainable Would like to consider sustainable aspects Sustainability does not play a role in the selection process
16. Recommendations Make public transportation more environmental-friendly, e.g. by using biogas. Providing cooking shows to promote more locally produced products, organic food and drink. Government or tourism offices can certify accommodations and attractions with sustainable labels. Travel websites can target younger people whom are using certain webpages or websites more often than elder people. Raise more awareness by providing information about being sustainable in hotels, travel agencies etc. Make sustainable activities more attractive e.g. bicycling in the Netherlands.
